Applauding the night away: superb exporters win top awards

Spectacular export growth of
hundreds of chicken and turkey products has won Tegel Foods
the Supreme Award in the 2014 Air New
Zealand Cargo Export NZ Auckland export awards.

Prime Minister John Key presented the award last night
at the Langham hotel in Auckland also attended by Auckland
Mayor Len Brown and ‘Minister for Business’, Steven
Joyce.

The judges said Tegel has been an iconic
brand in New Zealand for more than 50 years and began
developing export markets 11 years ago.

Tegel
products are grown and processed in New Zealand for the
premium market. The company’s growth has come about
following significant capital investment in plant and
people, and adopting a structured export growth plan.

The judges of all the Export Award categories, said
Tegel’s export growth over the past three years has been
spectacular, and future growth prospects appear very
strong.

Tegel also won the BDO Food &
Beverage Exporter of the Year category award and
was in competition for the Supreme Award with the winners of
the other six categories.

Mr Key also presented the
Exporters’ Champion Award to an
individual for exemplary services to exporting.

The
surprised recipient was Ross Southcombe, a semi-retired
businessman who was the inaugural director of the Export
Institute of NZ (1976-82) which in 2008 became Export New
Zealand.

Ross was honoured for his foundation role
in driving the establishment of Export NZ in the 1970s when
New Zealand had just lost the UK as its major export market
and was struggling to find its feet as an exporter to other
international markets.

A video shown at the Awards
ceremony highlighted Ross’ trade missions and other
exporting exploits. His compatriots – former general
managers and export managers of the likes of Alex Harvey
Industries, Ceramco and Crown Lynn - featured.

Category Award winners

QBE Insurance Exporter of the Year
(total sales under $25m) Phitek
Systems, and

The judges said Phitek’s innovative technology and
components established their reputation for high performance
noise cancellation headphones, and then the company
reinvented itself to focus on in-seat peripherals integrated
with entertainment systems which they supply to many of the
world’s airlines.

Their world-first is a
universally compatible, magnetic media jack connector which
eliminates damage to headphone jack pins along with the high
cost of replacing them, also reducing costs and weight. The
rare earth neo dymium is used for the magnet.

Phitek
connectors are now specified by many major airlines and
sourced by all four of the major manufacturers of in-flight
entertainment systems.

The other category winners
are:

Westpac Exporter of the Year
(total sales over $25 million):-
Southern SparsSouthern Spars
has operational centres in six countries. The company
designs and makes carbon fibre spars (yacht masts and
booms), components and rigging, and services rigs.

Judges’ comments:Southern Spars
is a major contributor to New Zealand’s reputation for
expertise in racing and luxury yacht building.

A
recent order has been the construction of two of the
world’s largest masts, each 90 metres, and a challenge to
ship.

A company strength is a willingness to invest
in projects that stretch the innovation, design and
manufacturing capabilities of the business.

A big
commitment was Southern Spars’ decision to support
Emirates Team NZ Americas Cup campaign, which gave them the
confidence to position on exceptional quality.

Southern Spars has over 70 per cent share of the market
for racing rigs worldwide and 75 per cent share for cruising
super yachts worldwide.

The judges were highly
impressed with how the company exploits ultra thin ply
carbon fibre technology. It now uses this new composite
manufacturing technique for all its spars to increase
strength as well as reducing building time. Their technology
is also being developed for reinforcing bridges and oil well
rigs.

Quantium Solutions E-Commerce Exporter
of the Year- Intenza
NZ

Intenza makes and sells herbal
products online worldwide to support prostate health, and
enhance libido for men and women to improve sexual
relationships.

Judges’
comments:Intenza is a slick, direct sales
company, 15 years old with $3 million sales pa of which
exports are becoming a key focus.

Their marketing
highlights the products are New Zealand made to take
advantage of our reputation for trust and integrity.

Intenza invests circa $750,000 on radio advertising pa
and $400,000 on internet promotion in developing its
e-commerce sales strategy.

Intenza’s next projects
are to develop further its export markets in Australia,
Southeast Asia and China underpinned by protection of its
intellectual property offshore. Intenza has a US
distributor and sells in US dollars.

TNT
Express Emerging Exporter of the Year-
1907 Water Ltd

The company bottling
artesian water from Paeroa is headquartered in Auckland has
an office in the US and partners in China and Canada.

Judges comments:1907 Water is now
New Zealand’s largest shipper of bottled water supplying
markets in Canada, US, Pacific Islands and China,and
enjoying significant success with its ‘1907
water’ brand.

1907 Water has earned multiple
quality accreditations. It plans to use recycled plastic
bottles and packaging for all future production.

Sales have increased 65 per cent over the past year with
further strong growth for 2014-15 projected. They use a
range of marketing strategies to keep in touch with clients
and consumers, from tradeshows to in-store visits and
extensive use of social media.

1907 Water is
cleverly marketed as a competitor to established major
international brands, offering similar attributes but
uniquely from pure NZ.

94 per cent
of Straker’s income from human translations in more than
80 languages is generated outside New Zealand. Straker has
developed a cloud enabled technology platform to speed up
the translation process.

Straker runs a
sophisticated operational control system, from first
customer request through to quoting, order taking, project
management and delivery.

Integral to this is its
effective engagement with its global customer base managing
one-off transactions through to long-term corporate
accounts. Straker’s value proposition is primed to create
significant export growth based on:

•
Significant technology differentiation and clarity on the
real needs of the customer• Strong
financial and technical base for future growth•
A clear and passionate view of its future growth
strategy

The whitebait fry - considered a delicacy by many - are the juveniles of five species of galaxiid, four of which are considered threatened or declining. The SMC asked freshwater experts for their views on the sustainability of the whitebait fishery and whether we're doing enough to monitor the five species of galaxiid that make up whitebait. More>>

The New Zealand government's accounts recorded a smaller-than-forecast deficit in the first four months of the fiscal year on a higher-than-expected inflow of corporate and goods and services tax. More>>

Steel & Tube Holdings, along with two other companies, will be prosecuted by the Commerce Commission following the regulator's investigation into seismic steel mesh, while Fletcher Building's steel division has been given a warning. More>>

• For car owners, a 13% reduction in the average Motor Vehicle levy • For businesses, a 10% reduction in the average Work levy, and changes to workplace safety incentive products • For employees, due to an increase in claims volumes and costs, a 3% increase in the Earners’ levy. More>>